| Helmet Of Skanderbeg |
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Skanderbeg was a prominent figure in the history of Albania . His weapons have been subjects of mythical adoration. According to legends his sword was so heavy that only his arm could wield. Reportedly, it was also so sharp that it could slice a man vertically from head to waist with little effort and cut a huge boulder in half with a single blow. From all of Skanderbeg's belongings we are left with only four objects: two swords, one helmet and a prayer book. Currently the weapons ( Helmet and Sword ) are on display at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna after having passed though the hands of countless Noblemen since the 15th century when they were first brought over to Italy from Albania by Skanderbeg’s wife, Donika Kastrioti . The prayer book is archived at the Publishing ShelleyHouse in Chelsea , London . THE SWORDS According to . There are also accounts which relate that at one point he kept two swords sheathed in the same Scabbard . Frengu then adds, rather colourfully, that Skanderbeg brought a master sword-maker over from Italy, who produced three better swords for him. One of them, "that could cut through steel," he sent it as a present to the Ottoman Sultan of Turkey . It is also known that in Skanderbeg's last visit to the Holy See , Pope Paul II presented the Albanian hero with a sword and a cap (It: ''una spada ed un capello''). The straight sword, which lay at the Museum of Ambras along with the helmet, is double-edged. The blade is dressed in gold. It is 85.5 Centimeter s long, 5.7 cm wide, and weighs 1.3 Kilogram s. Its scabbard is made of leather. According to Faik Konica , who viewed the sword at the beginning of the 20th century, there were still stains of blood on the blade. On the other hand, the curved sword, including the , and the Velvet Scabbard belong to a subsequent time. Both swords were reproduced in Vienna, for exclusive display in Tirana. Of these two swords, the one which Skanderbeg used in times of war could have been the curved one. The straight sword was rather short for his tall frame, whereas the other one afforded the flexibility required for cavalry charges and the fighting style of the day. In addition, having been trained in Turkey, and having learned there his skills in martial arts, it is more likely that he would have been more comfortable with that sword. THE HELMET Skanderbeg’s helmet is made of white metal, adorned with a strip dressed in Nazarene Blesses Thee (Skanderbeg), Prince of Mat , King of Albania, Terror of the Ottomans , King of Epirus ). It is thought that the copper strip with the monogram is the work of the descendants of Skanderbeg and was placed there by them, as Skanderbeg never held any other title but “Lord of Albania”. The first element which commands attention is the meaning and symbolism of the horned goat on the helmet. It is difficult to assess with certainty what the horned goat might signify. It might be explained by the Cult Of The Wild Goat , the symbol of the “zana” minor deities akin to Valkyrie in the Norse Mythology , which live in mountain forests and pastures. There are signs indicating that the cult of the wild goat is very ancient. The Roman writer and historian of the I-II century A.D., S. Suetom Tanquilli (De Vita Caesarum, L.II, 12, 94.) writes that the Roman Emperor Augustus , after putting down the Illyrian revolt of Bato , cut a coin bearing the head of a horned goat to celebrate the victory. There is another possible explanation with serious historical ramifications. According to a report by historian were so defeated by the Albanians. Indeed, the times when the star of Macedon shone brilliantly had returned, just as they seemed in those long forgotten times of Phyrrus and Alexander ''." At the request of the pre-WWII Albanian government, an identical copy of the helmet of Skanderbeg lies now in the National Museum of Tirana, Albania. The copy was manufactured by a talented Austrian master in 1937. THE LONG JOURNEY OF THE WEAPONS The helmet and swords have a dark and confusing history. After the death of Skanderbeg, they were taken to Italy by Skanderbeg’s wife Donika and his son Gjoni . Who inherited them after their death is unknown. The weapons reappeared in the last Decade of the 16th Century . In 1590, the helmet and the two swords did not belong to the same owner. The helmet and one sword were under the ownership of Count Eolfang Of Sturnbeng . The other sword lay in the inventory of the Arms Museum of the Archduke Karl of Styria , son of the German Holy Roman Emperor in Gratz , Austria (they appear in the inventory of 30 October 1590). The person who brought the weapons together was the son of the Emperor and brother of Karl, Archduke Ferdinand of Tyrol , who, acting under the advice of his Chancellor Jacob Schrenk Von Gotzing , bought the weapons and brought them under the same roof. Later, this Prince erected the Museum of Ambras , near Tyrol , which he filled with all sorts of war-related material, as well as paintings and portraits of celebrities of that age. In 1806 the weapons were transferred to the Imperial Museum in Vienna , still apart from each other. The helmet and the straight sword were placed in the Maximilian Hall (hall XXV, no. 71 & 92 respectively), whereas the curved sword found its way to the Karl V Hall (hall XXVII, no. 345). The weapons were separated by the curators of the museum, who were uncertain whether or not the swords indeed belonged to Skanderbeg. After the Second World War, the doubts evaporated. On the eve of Skanderbeg’s 500th anniversary, the arms were reunited, not only in the same hall, but in the same display window of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Eien . SOURCES Material translated from Albanian. Original author: Kristo Frasheri . http://www.forumishqiptar.com/showpost.php?p=817387&postcount=10 |
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